Serial crash for cash fraudster given hefty sentence after guilty plea

A serial fraudster, who purposely caused eight different crashes, has been handed a hefty sentence after pleading guilty to fraud.

After a two-year investigation, Asif Javed, 25, of Birmingham was sentenced on Friday 7 September 2018 to a 22-month custodial sentence and a 3-year disqualification from driving

The City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) was first alerted by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) in July 2016.

The IFB wanted to speak to IFED regarding suspected crash for cash offences against victims who were insured by Aviva. 

Between April 2016 and May 2017, Javed caused eight separate collisions on roads with potential losses totalling £22,732.05.

Javed insured five cars using two policies from ERS and Ageas. Four of the cars were registered to one policy and one car was registered to the other. The two insurance policies were both set up using a bank card that was not registered in his name and different false names and addresses.

Collisions

Javed’s first collision happened in April 2016 when a car, which was found to be registered to Javed through one of the insurance policies, caused a crash by suddenly braking when it had no reason to.

He then used the same car and insurance policy later that month in another crash. This time, Javed gave his real name but a fake date of birth.

Two crashes occurred on 12 April 2016, one involving a car which was insured to the same policy as ones used in other crashes, and in the other crash, Javed gave his name as Ajanib Ajeb.

He also gave a correct phone number, but a fake address. The residents of the address he provided did not know who he was.

The other four crashes occurred on 21 May 2016, 9 April, 12 April, and 12 May 2017. At three of these crashes, photos were taken of the driver. These photos were later used by IFB as evidence to link Javed to other incidents.

This, coupled with intelligence from the industry, as well as additional photos shared by other victims on social media, strengthened the case against Javed. The IFB then provided this information to IFED, helping to identify Javed. The car he used was registered to his parents’ address.

Justice

He was arrested on 23 November 2017 and he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation at Birmingham Crown Court on 6 June 2018.

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt said: “In his desperation to make money, Javed set out on a year-long spree of deliberate crashes that put innocent members of the public at risk.

“He had no regard for the safety of those around him and crimes like his have contributed to the rise in premiums for insurance holders. His greed has resulted in another successful conviction for IFED. Crash for cash offences are taken very seriously and fraudsters will be stopped.”

Jason Potter, head of investigations at the IFB, said: “Javed was a reckless individual who forced motorists into accidents on a notoriously busy road. The victims, in this case, were innocent people going about their day to day lives and Jawad did not hesitate to put their lives in danger for financial gain.

“This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the industry to stamping out this type of criminal activity. This sentencing should serve as a clear message to would-be fraudsters that they will pay the price for their selfish and abhorrent behaviour.”

Carl Mather, special investigations unit manager, Aviva, said, “Mr Javed’s actions were callous, calculating and put innocent motorists at risk of physical harm. Aviva is relentless in its pursuit of fraudsters who have such disregard and is determined to work in partnership with other insurers and law enforcement to secure appropriate sanctions. This sentence will reinforce the message to others considering committing fraud that Aviva, IFB and the Police are working together to share information and ensure fraudsters are brought to justice for their reckless acts.”

Robin Challand, claims director for Ageas said: “When someone decides to deliberately crash their car to defraud an insurance company they are risking hurting innocent road users and stealing from the other policyholders. Ageas works tirelessly alongside IFED and IFB to stop scams like these and we’re delighted that justice has been done today.”

Steve Gaywood, head of counter fraud for ERS said: “The conviction secured here shows the value, and importance, of continuous collaboration between insurers and IFED in identifying, investigating and ultimately bringing to justice those who think that they are above the law. Our zero-tolerance approach to fraud will always see us pursue criminal action in order to defend honest motorists against this type of crime.”